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Hard Time (episode)
Convicted of espionage, Miles O'Brien is given the memories of twenty years in prison in a matter of hours. Returning to DS9, O'Brien finds he cannot shrug the memory of his awful experience or rid himself of the guilt he feels over the death of his cellmate. Summary On a mission to the Argrathi homeworld, Miles O'Brien is accused of espionage, and sentenced to twenty years in prison. However, the Argrathi are experts at mind-controlling and mind-altering technologies, and their punition system is able to administer him the experience of 20 years of prison in just a few hours of treatment, without physically harming him. By the time the details of the events had been received by Deep Space 9, the "punishment" had already been completed, and he was free to return home, accompanied by Major Kira. Back at the station, Doctor Bashir examines him, and he finds that the memories of his imprisonment were not simply implanted: he really experienced living in a cell for 20 years, though in an accelerated fashion. Thus, eradication of these memories is out of question, and he has to accept them. O'Brien's memories come back to haunt him and, despite having told his crew mates that he spent his entire sentence alone, he begins seeing his former simulated cellmate Ee'char walking around the station. O'Brien finds it very difficult to re-adjust to life back on the station, and lashes out at people, first Doctor Bashir, then Quark, then Molly, then finally at Jadzia. Captain Sisko, hearing about Miles' behavior, relieves him of duty, and orders him to report to the infirmary, and to continue his counselling sessions. O'Brien storms out of Ops and throws his combadge at the floor of a turbolift. Then he goes to the infirmary, and tells Bashir to leave him alone. He then goes to a cargo bay, and vents his frustration by smashing containers with a pole in a furious rage. Finally he spots a weapons locker, pulls a phaser out, sets it to kill, and aims it at himself. Bashir arrives, and manages to convince him not to kill himself. Ee'char appears next to Bashir, and O'Brien tells Bashir about Ee'char, and how he killed him in a jealous rage when he found that he'd been hoarding food without telling him, before realising that the food was for both of them. Anguished about killing his best friend of almost 20 years, O'Brien breaks down, and Bashir takes the phaser away from him. Memorable Quotes "The crime of espionage requires a minimum of fifteen cycles of correction; you've been here for twenty. It's time for you to go." "Go? I can't leave. Where would I go ''to?" : - '''Argrathi' and O'Brien, after his 20 years in prison "I'm not your friend! The O'Brien that was your friend died in that cell!" : - O'Brien confronting Dr. Bashir Background Information * The working title of this episode was "Untitled O'Brien". According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, this was one of the so-called "O'Brien Must Suffer" episodes. * When this episode was first released in the UK on VHS, on the cover of the video it was called "Hard Times", rather than "Hard Time", changing the meaning of the title completely. * Bashir makes reference to TNG: "The Wounded" as well as DS9: "Tribunal" and "Whispers." * The original premise of the script concerned the discovery that Sito Jaxa from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes and was still alive. After being presumed dead, she was found to have been held in a Cardassian prison since the events of "Lower Decks". The episode would have detailed her struggle to reintegrate into normal life, leading to the revelation she had killed her cellmate to whom she had been close. * This episode was the last of the series to be directed by Alexander Singer. Links and References Guest Stars *Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien *Margot Rose as Rinn *Hana Hatae as Molly O'Brien *F.J. Rio as Enrique Muñiz ;And: *Craig Wasson as Ee'char Co-Star *Judi Durand as the computer voice References 47; Argrathi |next= }} Category:DS9 episodes de:Strafzyklen es:Hard Time nl:Hard Time